Around 3:15 p.m.,
the fire department received a call about the pungent smell, Monte said.

"Haz-mat units arrived on the scene, went inside the facility and stopped the
leak," he said. "Right now everything is safe. We're just waiting for the area to clear
out." Firefighters
evacuated children from the St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, two houses near
the school and closed off streets in a two-block radius from the facility.

Monte said anhydrous
ammonia, the official name of the leaking substance, could cause respiratory
distress. There are no reports of any injuries.

The leak began in a stem on a valve inside the Reddy Ice plant, Monte said,
but he did not want to speculate on what the caused leak. The area would take
about 30 minutes to clear out, Monte said at approximately 5:20 p.m.